California Geography 145 Research Paper.
The Big Wave Surfing Phenomenon at Mavericks and the Legend of Surfing Culture.
Aaron Rubenstein December 8, 2003.
When people stereotype surfers, one individual that comes to mind like sand on the beach is the high school stoner Jeff Spicoli (Played by Sean Penn) in the movie Fast Times at Ridge Mont High. Just imagine the scene where Mr. Spicoli is standing with his surfboard and trophy. There are two gorgeous babes in revealing bikinis at his side. He starts ranting and raving about his winning the Nationals and going to party with the Rolling Stones in London. Another public image of surfing came out in the surf bank robber thriller Point Break in which Patrick Swayze plays a role of a drinking nonchalant surf dude looking to steal enough money to catch that one perfect wave that only comes once every fifty years. How misinformed and wrong our society is to infer such nonsense about what surfing is really about. "Surfing is all about living-and occasionally dying-in the moment." Surfing is the only sport where a competitor will sit and gaze at the waves imagining the ride, ecstasy, and overall confrontation with Mother Nature. One doesn't see a professional tennis player staring at the court gazing and wondering if this court is going to be a different kind of cement. The best surfers in the world are dolphins, followed by seals, then pelicans, and lastly humans because we suck and need the aid of surfboards, sticky water shoes, wetsuits, and sex wax. The purpose of the following pages is to discuss, define, explain, and analyze what make Mavericks the big wave surf destination that attracts professionals from all over the world. First, I will discuss the geographic design of Pillar Point, Sail Rock, and the Half Moon Bay region. Next, I will present an overview of surfing in general to include what makes up a wave, discuss various swell types, wave breaks, and climate and temperature factors.